Newly Donated Undercover Vehicle To Help Fight Crime In Northport

The Northport Police Department recently received an undercover vehicle that will be used to “sneak up on the bad guys” who commit various crimes, including auto thefts and frauds, says Northport Police Chief Bill Ricca.

The vehicle remained under a MetLife cover during a Thursday press conference with Northport Police and the vehicle donors, National Insurance Crime Bureau (NICB) and Metlife Home & Auto Insurance Company, at Northport Police Headquarters.

The only information known about vehicle is that it is a previously stolen, late model SUV with low mileage and in excellent condition.

After a car is stolen and not recovered for some time, the insurance company pays out the claim to the owner. If the car is later recovered, the insurance company then takes possession of it. That is how Metlife Auto & Home acquired this vehicle.

Ricca told Patch the department will “put a lot of bad guys in jail because of [the vehicle].”

Metlife Auto & Home investigator Gerard LaRocco said this vehicle will also help taxpayers since vehicle thefts increase insurance premiums.

“While overall crime rates in Northport Village are down an average of 11 percent over the past two years, the incidents of fraud and related cases, as well as stolen car cases have not followed that trend,” Ricca said. “I am confident that this new tool will help us bring those statistics down as well."

LaRocco said this vehicle will also indirectly help the local drug problem. Many people who get arrested for car thefts and break-ins have drug addictions, he said. Once these people are in custody, they could get the treatment they need.

Image via Patch: (l-r) Gerard LaRocco of Metlife, Lieutenant Michael Cook of Northport Police, Chief Bill Ricca of Northport Police, Northport Mayor Damon McMullen, John Sargent Metlife National Director of Investigations, Northport Deputy Mayor Thomas Kehoe and Kevin Gallagher Director of Field Operations-Northeast Region NICB